Surfrider Intends to Sue Under Clean Water Act to Address Border Pollution

Surfrider Foundation, through this litigation, seeks to compel wastewater infrastructure upgrades for the Tijuana River Valley, including specifically, those that improve interception and diversion of solid waste, wastewater collection and treatment, and water quality monitoring with timely public notification of contamination. This is a complex issue, but Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to driving a solution!

To address the plague of water pollution in the region and resultant beach closures, Surfrider initiated litigation under the citizen suit provision of the Clean Water Act Section 505, which authorizes citizens to bring suit in federal district court for violations of terms and conditions set forth in wastewater discharge permits issued under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program.

IBWC is responsible for the routine and substantial discharge of wastewater and other pollutants from its flood control infrastructure into the Tijuana River Valley in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Surfrider Foundation has taken legal action today, after a decades-long campaign for No Border Sewage, in order to protect the surfing, swimming and other recreational resources of the San Diego coast; to defend threatened species and habitat; and to fight for clean water on our coast.

The Port of San Diego, City of Imperial Beach, and City of Chula Vista filed a complaint under the Clean Water Act and Resources Conservation and Recovery Act in early March of this year, and the California State Water Resources Control Board also issued a Notice of Intent to Sue to the IBWC this week for the Clean Water Act violations.